NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Mansfield University baseball team dropped a pair of late-inning heartbreakers, 2-1 and 5-4 (11 Innings) on the road at Walsh University (Ohio) in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon, April 2.
The Mounties fall to 9-13 overall, while Walsh improve to 11-8.
Game one featured a pitcher's duel that showcased a 1-1 tie going into the sixth inning, when the Cavaliers used a solo shot and a scoreless final frame to seal the 2-1 nail-biting victory.
Walsh scored the game's first run in the fourth, but the Mounties struck for the equalizer in the top of the fifth to set up the dramatic finish. Sophomore
Zachary Shertzer drove in the Mountaineer run by plating senior
Samuel Freedman.
The Mountaineers recorded five hits, led by doubles from sophomore
Dylan Mercedes and Freedman and an RBI from Shertzer.
Senior
Hunter DePrimo threw the first four innings, allowing just one run and striking out three. Sophomore
Bobby Curry (1-2) lasted 1.1 innings, allowing one run and striking out three in the losing effort. Junior
Josh Colon tossed the final 0.2 innings.
Drew Saunier limited the Mounties to one run in a complete seven innings to earn the win on the mound, while Austin Marko hit a two-run homer to lead the offense.
It took until the 11
th inning to decide a winner in game two, as Walsh erased senior
Brady Mengel's go-ahead homer with two runs in the bottom of the inning to walk away with a 5-4 victory to clinch the sweep.
Junior
Brittain Shander, senior
Assaf Lowengart, freshman Jake Houtz, Mengel and junior
Zach Spray all recorded doubles, Mengel added a home run, while Mengel, Houtz and Lowengart drove in runs to lead the Mountaineer offense.
Sophomore
Eric Gustofson lasted five innings and allowed three runs, while fanning three in a quality start on the mound for the Mounties. The Mountaineer bullpen was excellent, led by freshman
Austin Lewis and senior
Lorenzo Febbo, who combined for 5.1 innings without an earned run.
The Mounties opened the scoring in the first inning with three runs to take an early 3-0 lead. Lowengart plated Shander with a double to left field, before coming around to score on a single by Houtz. Houtz later came around to score on a balk by Walsh.
The Cavaliers scored their first run in the bottom of the third, before tying the game at three in the fifth with a two-run home run.
Both pitching staffs took the game over with six straight scoreless innings, before Mengel gave the Mounties a 4-3 lead in the top of the 11
th with a solo shot.
However, Walsh scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the 11th to upend the Mounties.
For the Cavaliers, Joey Holiga led the offense with two RBI, while Zach Thompson earned the win on the mound in relief.
The Mountaineers return to Walsh tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. to conclude the series.
